UNTIL YOU'RE IN MY ARMS AGAIN
by EJM513
Summary: The moment Hector and the rest of the Riveras have been for has finally come. Coco has passed away-Hector is finally going to see his girl again.


UNTIL YOU'RE IN MY ARMS AGAIN

A COCO ONE SHOT FANFICTION INSPIRED BY "HOW DOES A MOMENT LAST FOREVER"

FOR THE COCO FAN EXCHANGE

DISCLAIMER: I OWN ABOSLUTELY NOTHING RELATED TO COCO OR DISNEY SO PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!

*WHISPERS* ALSO I PROMISE I'LL GET WORKING ON MY OTHER COCO FANFICTION-LIFE HAS JUST BEEN CRAZY.

BY EJM513

 _To Iwoulddieforhector- the first Coco blog I followed back in December. I hope you enjoy! Please forgive my Spanish-I'm very rusty even though I've spoken Spanish/Spanglish my whole life I've studied two other languages since so I'm not up to snuff. So please forgive my probably awful effort. Happy belated Valentines Day! Love, Emma (aka EJM513)_

It all started as a normal morning for the Rivera's home and shoe shop. They had all risen with the sun and began their day early. Everyone had their space and task to complete-creating a special music of its. Imelda sat firmly in front of her trusty sewing machine, her fingers expertly running the rough leather through the aging green machine. Julio quietly hammered away, creating the study base of the shoes. His eyes, normally soft and wide, were narrow in concentration. Near by the twins were mummering, pens scratching on paper as they came up with the wildest designs. Rosita sat next to her brother, humming softly to herself as she gingerly embroidered boots. Victoria sat nearby at the phone, her eyes glued to a book as she waited for the shrill ring to pull her back to reality. It all blended together into a simply melody of its own-though no one would dare compare it to music.

Especially since there was finally real music filling the open room. Nestled in a corner of the work shop-far away from the hustle of bustle of everyday business, sat Hector. It was him who brought the music back. As he sat with his eyes closed, his fingers expertly plucked the strings of his beloved guitar. This had become his daily ritual since he was welcomed back into the embrace of his family. The moment it became clear he had no real talent for making shoes-and that it would be the end of Imelda and Hector's fragile relationship- Hector happily found a corner and played. Just as it was on that warm summer morning, his melodies were already gentle and sweet and always in sync with the rhythm around him. It always created a calming atmosphere in the working shop, allowing most of the Rivera's to work in peace.

And work in peace they did. Despite the severe expression of focus on their faces, the family seemed completely relaxed as they worked away. Even the ever stoic Victoria and Imelda had little smiles on their faces as they listened to the gentle music.

Hector opened his eyes and felt himself smile when he noticed this. He felt a strange yet welcomed surge of warmth in his chest, near where his heart would have been. In terms of business he might only be useful for deliveries, but he had a strange way of making everyone feel at ease. Watching them work with such a quiet calmness, and knowing he helped create such an environment brought him nothing but pride. He closed his eyes once again and leaned back against the wall, letting the music and warmth fill his old bones. He let out a contented sigh, feeling a sense of peace washing over him.

Yes, after all those years alone, life was finally beautiful once more.

A loud, shrill ring broke through the tranquil atmosphere, making Hector jump and causing the guitar to fumble in his hands. There were certain things Hector was convinced he would never understand-one of them being the telephone. Everyone else seemed entirely unphased by the sound, not turning their focus on their work and ignoring the sound of Victoria's voice. Only Imelda glanced away from her sewing, taking a second to smirk at her husband before returning back to her work. Hector rolled his eyes began to lean back, ready to begin playing. Just as he back touched the wall Hector glanced towards his granddaughter. She had gone completely silent. Her hand held on the phone as if her life depended on it. Her jaw was dropped and her eyes were wide, staring at nothing in particular. Hector gave the room a quick glance, and no one seemed aware of the state Victoria was in.

This would not do.

Hector immediately put down his guitar down and walked to Victoria, weaving carefully through the different stations and task. He watched with careful eyes as she gave a stiff nod, her hand somehow gripping the phone even tighter.

"Si… Si.." Victoria said, her voice far less biting and commanding than it usually was. She lapsed into silence once more, listening closely to the person on the other end. A moment later she nodded and in the same stunned voice said,

"Si… si. Okay we'll be there. Muchas gracias."

"Everything okay angelita?" Hector asked the moment Victoria took the phone away from her ear, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. Victoria kept her eyes trained on the counter, completely silent and seemingly unaware of Hector's presence. Hector gave her shoulder a tender squeeze, hoping to pull her out of whatever trance she was in. She refused to look up at him, but much to his shock she slowly raised her hand and placed it on top of his. She wrapped her fingers around his and gripped his hand. Hector felt his own eyes grow large as she looked up at him, a large smile on her face. Hector thought his eyes were playing a trick on him, but he could have sworn if it had been possible, her cheeks would have been wet with tears.

"Mija?" Without saying another word Victoria threw her arms around him and buried her face into his shoulder. Hector held her close, his mind swarming with confusion. Victoria had long since accepted him as his grandfather and part of the family, but she was never one to be so openly affectionate. Though he had no stomach, he could still feel the sensation of it growing tighter with worry.

"Mama…" Hector's face twisted with incredulity, his head tilting ever so slightly. His thoughts were bouncing around, desperately trying to decipher who she was talking about. It only took a moment for him to realize who she was talking about.

Coco… his Coco.

It hit him like a bolt of lightning, making his bones become rigid. He held on tightly to Victoria's shoulder and pushed her away so he could look at her.

"What about your Mama?" Hector asked, his words slow and his voice low. His words were enough to truly halt the flow of business. The once calm atmosphere was replaced by anticipation and tension so thick it could be cut with a knife. All eyes were one them as Victoria beamed up at her grandfather, trying to find to find her voice. Despite having long been dead she felt the all too familiar sensation of her heart pounding with joy, compromising her habitually aloof demeanor. She relished that feeling and deciding her family could no longer be kept in the dark by her silence, she finally spoke.

"She's here, Mama's here!"

Those simple words hit like a speeding train. Everyone in the room seemed frozen where they stood, their eyes never moving from Victoria and Hector. For a long moment it seems time has stopped as Victoria's proclamation bounced around in their heads, trying to settle. Hector continues to hold on to Victoria's shoulders, looking more and more like a stunned statue with each passing second. For him the world had come to a complete stand still, his thoughts drowning in a raging sea of emotions crashing over him. There was a surge of unbridled joy, making his old bones strain from the urge to leap for joy and his nonexistent throat burn with the desire to cry out in elation. His eyes began to sting, though he knew no tears would come. He was so lost in himself that he was only partially aware that Victoria had skirted her away around him to hug her father. Hector staid motionless by the counter, his back turned to the rest of the family. He couldn't seem Victoria and Julio embracing, couldn't see Oscar and Felipe bouncing with excitement. He was oblivious to Rosita chittering away, rushing to pull her brother and niece into a massive hug. He was unaware of the joyous smile on his wife's face.

At that moment, all Hector could focus on was the simple fact that after 96 years he would see his daughter.

And despite his sheer joy at the thought, he couldn't ignore that cold sensation of fear that grabbed hold of him. He became painfully aware of the number of years they had spent apart, of how much he had missed. He never saw her blossom into adulthood. He wasn't there to walk her down the isle on her wedding day. He wasn't there when she became a mother. He had inkling of what kind of person she had become. There was no simple way of getting around those painful facts-he had missed her entire life-and there was no way to know how she would react when seeing him.

After all… she never put his photo on the ofrenda…

He could hear a voice-most likely Imelda- call over the excited clatter.

"What are we waiting for? We need to get our Coco!" She exclaimed, her voice wavering ever so slightly when she said her daughter's name. The room suddenly came alive once more. Everyone began buzzing around the room, clearing the room of any signs of a their own work.

Only the guitar sat in the open. Only Hector seemed unwilling or unable to move. He was lost in a sea of his own terror and guilt that kept him stuck to ground. The same ugly thoughts raced through his over and over again, taunting and mocking taunt and causing him to spiral further and further into himself.

 _You missed everything._

 _It wasn't my fault!_

 _True but you shouldn't have left in the first place!_

 _Well…._

 _She's never going to want to see you-and if she does she's just going to tell you how much she despises you._

 _¡Cállate! ¡Eso no es verdad!_

 _Si eso es verdad._

Suddenly Hector felt an arm loop around his and felt himself moving. The vicious circle looping around in his head came to a screeching halt. Without warning Hector found himself outside the sanctuary of his new homeHe looked towards his left and sure enough there was Imelda. Not only was her arm looped around his, but she stood as close to him as she possibly could. Her head was resting against her shoulder. Without thinking he rested his head on top of her poof of dark hair, following her adoring gaze. The rest of his family were trailing a head of them, full of joyous chatter and laugher. They were indulging in all the happy memories of Coco, thrilled she had lived she a long life, wondering what she would be like. Though no one said it out loud-they silently pondered whether she would have regain his memory. If Imelda was worried about such things Hector didn't know. She just beamed at her family, seemingly lost in a world of her own happiness.

Hector wished he could be so lucky. Though his thoughts had ceased their venomous taunting his still felt a strange tightness and fluttering senesation where his stomach would have been. His bones were still stiff and unable to escape from the icy grip of fear. The world suddenly seemed uncertain for the first time in months. It was a sensation that he prayed he would never have to feel again. He felt as if he was walking on egg shells when he had first eased his way back into the family, unaware of how they would react to his presences. The idea of feeling this way about seeing his daughter only added to his torment.

Why couldn't he escape the guilt?

Why couldn't he accept that his after life had changed? That he had been forgiven of his youthful mistake?

Out of the blue he noticed Imelda look up at him, her dark eyes swimming with gentle concern. She stopped walking for a spilt second and stood on her toes, placing a kiss on his cheek. She then planted her feet firmly on the ground and continued her walking, once again pulling a surprised Hector along.

"It'll be okay Hector. She's been waiting for this day for as long as you have." Imelda whispered, leaning her head against his shoulder once more. Though Hector had no possessed a beating heart in almost a century, he could still feel the sensation of it skipping a beat, could feel it burning with excitement and adoration. It was something he was still not used to-the feeling of being alive when he was nothing but bones. At that moment though he thanked God for that sensation. For the first time since Victoria had given the wonderful news Hector truly felt grounded. The corners of his mouth turned up in a small smile, his eyes laughing at his own madness. He unhooked his arm from Imelda's and pulled her in close, bending down to kiss the top of her head.

"Los siento mi amor. I guess I'm just being… un poco loco." He chuckled, earning an exaggerated eye roll from his smirking wife. Hector let out another chuckle and kissed her cheek, nestling his face in her thick hair. He was finally content enough to ignore whatever demons had been plaguing him.

Whatever the day brought at least he could get to see his girl, and that was all that mattered.

Though she had only been dead for an hour, Socorro Rivera, better known as Coco, had decided that being dead was probably the best thing that could have ever happened to her.

For so many years Coco had found herself rendered useless. First her hands had started ache and creak, making her unable to continue the family trade. Then her legs started to go, rendering her in an uncomfortable wicker wheel chair and completely dependent on others. Though she despised being so dependent on others, she could swallow her pride and manage the she had been given-just had she done her entire life.

That is until her mind started to slip.

It happened slowly. Coco would forget a name or sometimes be a little confused. It was nothing to blink an eye at and indeed her family did not think of her momentary lapse of memory. With each passing year she remained on Earth she could feel her memory fading faster and faster. She began to forget faces she had seen for decades and even more terrifying, forgot the name of her own daughter. Coco could remember the day she realized what was happening, how she had been frozen to her wheelchair in terror. The last thing on Earth she wanted to do was forget…. She couldn't forget. She held on to her memory until she no longer had the strength to. Those last months of her life had passed in a hazy blur, never entirely aware of her surroundings or who she was with.

Until her sweet boy Miguel saved her…. at least for a little while. All the beautiful songs in the world couldn't prevent the inevitable. No matter how many times he played her Papa's song, it couldn't stop the hands of time or the damage that had already been done to brain. At least it made her smile, helped bring back long forgotten memories and bring her peace in her final days.

And now…

Now the issues that plagued her had, for the most part, faded away. As Coco sat in a private office at the Department of Family Reunions, she felt lighter than she had in years. Sure the agent sitting before her had explained it might take a few days her for to walk without any weakness, but she could kick her short legs freely and wiggle her toes. She was no longer haunted by a constant ache that had riddled her body for a long time. The best part though-the part she relished most of all was how clear her mind was. Of cores some memories and thoughts were blurred, and once again the kind women before her had said her mind would return to normal in a matter of days. However as she sat there, half listening to the agent, Coco knew the fog that had overtaken her mind was finally disappearing.

Oh yes… Socorro Rivera had never felt more alive. Though she knew the agent was telling her important information, Coco found it impossible to listen. Her warm dark eyes were glued on her feet, watching her toes wiggle and her legs kick back and forth. She was entranced by these simple motions she hadn't been able to do in such a long time.

"Senora Rivera?" A delicate voice asked. Coco looked away from her swinging legs and wriggling toes. She was greeted with a warm smile from the agent. She returned the gesture with a gentle smile of her own, trying to subtilty look down towards her name tag. But of cores there was nothing subtle in Coco's actions-subtle was not a term you could use to describe any of the Riveras. She managed to catch a flash of a name starting with M before the agent caught her, letting out an airy laugh.

"Oh Senora if you don't remember my name you could have asked-I wouldn't have been upset." Coco shook her head and felt her smile turn into a smirk.

"Si of cores. Forgive this old woman-like you said my memory will take some time to come back"

"Only a few days! You already seem to be much better!"

"Si, but it would be lovely if you could tell me your name." The agent nodded happily, resting her elbows on her wooden desk and somehow managed to sit even straighter than she already was.

"My name Maria Luciero." Coco's smile softened at the sound of the name, her smile and eyes softening.

"What a lovely name." She sighed, earning a delighted giggle from Maria.

"It's such an honor to hear you say that-to be in your presences and to help you with this process." She exclaimed, her voice growing higher and higher throughout the sentence. Coco willed her smile to stay in place, only fully aware that if she were alive her face would be flushed red and burning hot. For a moment she could have sworn she felt the all too familiar sensation, but wrote it off as a trick of her old mind. An awkward silence fell over them as Coco didn't respond to her excitement, and the woman turned around to obtain something. Coco welcomed the silence, it gave her time to sift through her thoughts-the loudest of them wondering why it was such an honor to be in her presence-why she was so special period. From the moment she came into this world, she was whisked away. It had not been quick enough. She was only too aware of the eyes staring at her, could clearly hear the hushed words people were trying to hide from her. Too add to the strangeness of it all she was taken a private office-which she had the sense to know this was not always common practice.

Oh yes something strange was going on.

Coco opened her mouth to voice her concerns, but before she made a sound a loud plop on the desk caused her to close her mouth. In between herself and Maria was an intimidatingly large stack of gleaming white paper. Maria crossed her arms on top of the pile, a pen held in her fingers. She gave Coco an apologetic smile before putting her elbows back on the desk and pushed the pile of paper towards her. Coco's eyes budged and her jaw dropped at the sight. She tried to speak, but all that came out was a feeble squeak.

"I know… I'm sorry Senora. Unfortunately, death is a nasty business in more way than one. But the sooner you get this done, the sooner you can go to your family." Maria said, handing the pen over to Coco. She took the pen, her eyes, still too stunned to speak. She sat as tall as she could, stretching her neck to see the top of the pile. With a sigh and huff she reached up and placed the first paper and front of her and began diligently filling it out.

Coco had no way of knowing how much time had passed since she had begun to fill out the seemingly insurmountable amount of paper work. The rational part of her knew it couldn't have been more than ten minutes. On the other hand she was convinced that the papers didn't just somehow multiply each time she completed one. Those she was hopefully her eyes wouldn't strain anymore she was almost certain her head was beginning to spin the longer she kept writing.

"Is this normal?" She asked, her voice weak with exasperation.

"Si." Maria replied, her eyes glued on to the elderly woman. Coco sighed and looked away, feeling incredibly uncomfortable by Maria's contently gaze. With a dash of a pen she completed another form, letting out a huff of annoyance. She looked up, hopefully it was the end, only to see yet another form staring her in the face.

As she for the next form, she sent a silent prayer for some relief-anything to stop the endless stream of paper work and Maria's constant staring.

Just as if God was listening Coco could hear muffled voices trickling through the closed door. She couldn't make out the individual voices, but she knew perfectly well who they were. Her hand grasped the pen tightly, her other hand crimpling the form she was filling out. The voices grew louder and louder, making it far easier to pick out individual voices. She could hear the familiar nasal tones of her tios as they chattered in their unusual way. She could her the high twitter of Rosita's voice and the raspy, gentle timbre of her Julio's speech. Coco dropped the pen at the sound of her husbands voice, her chest filling with a beautiful warmth that as far as Coco was concerned shouldn't have been there. It only grew stronger when she heard the door knob rattling. Before it swung open she dropped the pen and turned around to face the door, her eyes wide with anticipation.

After what seemed an eternity, the door finally opened.

"COCO!" A chorous of voices cried, rushing into the room as fast they good. Coco's mouth spilt into a massive smile, and with no regards to her legs she freed herself from that chair and walked towards her family with open arms. It was hard to tell who would reach her first, and she didn't care. As along as she was able to hold on to one of them, she would be happy. Much to her delight she felt a rather short person collide into her and pull her into a tight hug. She would know those arms anywhere, even if they lacked any flesh and muscle. She'd know her Julio anywhere. Coco could feel her eyes burning as if she wanted to sob-but of cores she didn't. She held him as tightly as she could, placing little kisses all over his face. He kissed her cheeks and then her lips, making her giggle like a little school girl. She rested her forehead against his, placing a little peck on his cheek.

"Oh mi amor.. I've missed you so, so much." She sighed, finally opening her eyes and taking in every detail of his skeletal face. She traced her fingers around his marking, relishing the sound of his chuckle.

"I've missed you to mi vida…so much." He replied, leaning into her gingerly touch. They both could have stayed like that forever, wrapped in each other arms and staring into each other eyes, as if nothing else mattered in the world. For a few blissful moments they did stay that way, completely unaware of the all the eyes staring at them. After those few moments Julio reluctantly pulled away, resting his hand on her cheek. Coco reached up and held his wrist, not ready to look away.

"We'll have all the time in the world to catch up amor. But in the meantime, I think there are some other people who want to see you." Julio said, letting go of Coco's face. She looked over his shoulder to see the group of people standing behind him.

Had she possessed a heart she swore it would have exploded from joy. Right before her eyes were people she hadn't seen in decades-people she had longed to speak to and hold for so long. They were right there, smiling her and just in reach. She walked around Julio, slowly making her way to her family. Everyone began to surround her, wanting to pull her into a tight hug.

Everyone of cores, except Hector. He staid by the door as still and as frozen as a statue. Only this time he was not paralyzed with the same self-doubt and terror that had plagued him before. From the moment he stepped into that office, he found himself so overwhelmed he was unable to move. As everyone else rushed to gather around Coco, he could only stare. Of cores he was highly aware that Coco was far older than the three-year-old he had left. The reality of it was much different. She was short, not a great deal taller than her tiny husband. Her back was slightly hunched, covered in a delicate orange shawl. Her hair, which had once been thick and dark was now a tuff of long white braids trailing down to her chest. Nothing else could have put it into clear focus how much he had missed. The very sight of he daughter as a small, snowy haired woman should have sent him down the same slippery slope back into his demons.

Yet as he stood there, watching Coco embrace her family, Hector saw what he could have only dreamed of-a glimpse of all he had missed. As he watched Coco and Julio hold each other close, he could see just how happy and in love they were. Though he already knew what kind of a man Julio was, it filled the empty space between his ribs with elation to see just how gentle and loving Julio truly was with her. Hector saw what kind of sister and friend she was when Coco threw her arms around Rosita as both women fell into laughter. He saw how close she had been with her tios, happily letting them dote on her just as they had in life. He saw what kind of mother she had been when Coco laid eyes on Victoria and glowed with elation. Hector thought he would break as he watched his normally stoic granddaughter melt into her mother's arms, to hear Coco whisper sweet nothings as she kissed every inch of Victoria's face. He could have watched them all day, only imaging what they must have gone through when Victoria meant her untimely death.

However, if watching Coco embracing her child came close to taking him over the edge, he had no idea what would happen to his emotions the moment Imelda and Coco held on to each other. Coco was short enough to easily rest her head on her mother's shoulder. She smiled happily as Imelda stroked her hair, whispering how much she loved her.

Suddenly the scene before Hector was replaced with another, a beautiful memory that Hector had kept keep within himself. The small office had vanished and was replaced by an open, sunlight kitchen. Imelda was standing by pot, slowly stirring the contents inside as she held Coco close. She swayed back and forth, humming a simple tune. The tune would cease momentarily when Imelda would kiss Coco's cheeks, making the little girl giggle. They were both smiling, their heads resting against each other. Coco lifted her head up and stared her mother right in the eyes, grabbing Imelda's face and said,

"Love you Mama!" Imelda had ceased her stirring and let the spoon rest against the pot. She held Coco close, kissing her chubby little face. She pressed her face against Coco's dark hair and whispered in return,

"I love you to cariño… I love you so much."

The memory vanished just as quickly as the memory came it vanished, and Hector was once again in the little office. Imelda was still holding Coco, unaware of him watching. Hector just smiled, soaking in the sweet picture before him. It was better than a memory-this whole day was far better than any sort' of distant memory, and he was unable to see how the day could have gotten any better.

Until Coco and Imelda finally let go of each other. Coco's brown eyes scanned the room, desperately searching for something-or someone.

"Where's Pa…" She began, slowly spinning around until she faced the door. Her voice came to a halt, unable to finish her question. Hector lowered his hand from his mouth, letting it fall to his side. Hector once again felt the sensation of time slowing, of everything around him fading away. His sole focus was the small skeleton before him. Her astonished expression mirrored is own, as if she also couldn't believe who was she was staring at. Her job dropped into a slight O shape, her the corners of her mouth turning up into a wide smile.

"Papa!" She cried, her voice cracking ever so slightly. She held out her arms and began to take a slow step towards her. Hector watched her carefully, his chest feeling tight at the sight of her glacial, weak walking. She kept walking closer and closer towards him, despite the fact her legs were clearly tired from standing as long as she had. Being the stubborn woman she was, Coco kept moving forward despite obviously struggling. She didn't make it too close before her legs finally began to buckle. Every Rivera let out a gasp as Coco began to wobble and fall, but no one had a chance to react. Fueled by some powerful, long dormant instinct Hector bolted to her side, catching her before she had a chance to crash on the floor. Instead both of them fell to the knees, holding each other as close as possible.

Hector closed his eyes and buried his face into her hair, swaying back and forth. Even after all those years she seemed to fit perfectly in his arms, the only difference being she could pull him into an equally tight embrace. It was truly a marvelous thing to feel her arms so strong and steady around him. He could feel his eyes burning more fiercely than they had all day despite them being closed. Despite having no throat he could feel a cry bubbling up, until it had nowhere else to go but out his mouth. He began to sob in spite of the lack of tears pouring down his face. Though he wasn't sure how Coco managed to hold him tighter at the sound of his cries. She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked him straight in the eye, her skeletal face painted with unbridled joy. Hector couldn't help him at that point. He began to kiss her face over and over again.

"Mi amor." He whispered in between each kiss, and didn't stop until he had showered every inch of her face in kisses. The whole time Coco held perfectly still, keeping her eyes closed and melting into his chest. Maybe it was just her imagination, but she could have sworn his arms felt warm, just as they had in life. She loved that warmth-she had missed that warmth for over 90 years. A sense of peace washed over her, even as her Papa sobbed into her hair. She knew they were tears of joy-and she knew if she dared to speak there would be no words but a joyful sob. But she didn't. Somehow Coco managed to stay silent, listening to Hector call her "mija" and "mi amor" over and over again. She could had no idea how long they staid like this, holding tightly to each other as Hector whispered sweet nothings, but eventually Hector pulled away, still keeping his hands resting on her shoulders. He soaked in every detail of her face, from her warm chocolate eyes to her high cheek bones and purple markings that were so much like his own. He lifted his hands off her shoulders and placed them on her cheeks, stroking them with thumbs.

"Look at you mija… you have lived such an amazing life."

"Si.. I did." Coco began, her smiling oddly fading as she thought of every important moment in her life, how there was always one important person missing from it all. She willed her smile to stay, but she knew it was growing sadder and sadder with each passing second. Her glanced drifted down to the floor, giving her a moment to steal herself before she spoke.

"Pero… it would have been better if you were there." Hectors massive smile faltered the instant she finished her sentence, his joyful eyes becoming clouded with a million negative emotions-anger, grief and above all regret. His back hunched over , his hands fell away from her cheek bones and for the first time since entering the office he looked away from her. Coco immediately lamented her words. It didn't matter that what she said was sad reality of her life, but she loathed what they had done to her father. She went to reach for his chin so she could tilt his head up and look him in the eye while she apologized, but Hector looked up before she had a chance to. He forced a smile, but his eyes were still hazy with the same toxic blend of emotions.

" I'm so sorry mija…. I'm so so sorry I ever left you and Mama. I'm so sorry mi amor…." He said, stroking her soft snowy hair. Coco had enough of this. She raised her eyes and brought them to his face and pulled it close to her, just as she had done so many times as a child. She closed her eyes and rested her forehead against his forehead, feeling her mouth curl into a bigger smile than she had before. It felt like the most natural thing in world.

"I know Papa, you would have come home if you were able to." She said tenderly. Hector shook his head, screwing his head, as if her words didn't reach him.

"I was coming home when… I tried so hard to come home." He explained, desperate for her to know that he had always meant to come home, that he had never meant to leave her. Coco kissed his cheeks, letting out a sweet chuckle.

"None of that matters anymore. We have all the time in the world now."

Hector's smile returned in full force at the sound of those words, his chest swelling with pride. His sweet little girl had turned into such a wise woman. It made him all the more excited to spend an eternity getting to know this wonderful daughter of his, to make up for all the time that was stolen from them. He wrapped his arms around once more, finally feeling at peace for the first time in over ninety years.

Hours later the Rivera family found themselves back in their hacienda, all huddled in the sitting room. Hector and Imelda sat arm and arm, watching on with contented and peaceful expressions as their daughter regaled tale after tale and story after story. Hector particularly enjoyed watching Coco interact with everyone else; seeing her sitting contently in Julio's arms, watching her dote on her daughter and joining in on her tios jokes. It was fuel to that all-encompassing feeling of peace he had felt back in the office. He was convinced that there would be no greater joy than sitting in the arms of his love and just watching their Coco.

That is… until she mentioned Miguel. Hector's spine stiffened at the sound of his name, his eyes growing wide. His arms tightened around Imelda, causing her to glare at him.

"Vendejo don't hold me so tight!" She hissed. Hector didn't seem to notice. He continued to hold her tightly as leaned closer towards his daughter.

"How is he?" Hector asked. Coco turned her gaze to him, her gentle smiling morphing into an expression of incredulity.

"He's good-how do you know about him? I thought you weren't able to cross over until now?" Everyone in the room went dead silent, glancing at each other. It had never occurred to them to wonder whether Miguel had told his family about his ordeal in the Land of the Dead-at the very least they had all assumed that Coco had been told since Hector was still with them. As Coco eyed them suspiciously, it became obvious that she knew nothing. Always the parent, Hector cleared his throat and smiled brightly, knowing full well it would not fool her as it had done when she as a toddler.

"It's uh… a long story amor that we'll talk about later but… I know all about Miguel." Coco narrowed her eyes, burrowing them in to her father as she decided whether or not to push him further. It was nowhere near as terror inducing as Imelda's, but it was still formidable none the less. He stayed still, trying to hide his shock at seeing such an expression on his little girl, and hoping she didn't question him. Thankfully for Hector she her face softened and a small smile appeared once more.

"All right then. Miguel is still the same sweet heart-you should see him with his baby sister, it's so beautiful. He's always been so good to me. Do you know he always gave me orange slices every day?" Imelda's face became painted with confusion, her mind filling with memories of Coco chucking orange slices across the kitchen the moment she laid eyes on them.

"You hate orange silences." Imelda stated, her smile mingling with confusion.

"I guess I got used to them because of Miguel. I always wondered why he did that." Coco pondered. Victoria fixed her glasses, her face growing stoic with concentration.

"I think it's because oranges are supposed to help memory. At least that's' what I read somewhere." Coco turned to her daughter, beaming with pride.

"Look at my girl-so smart!" Victoria's faced soften into a pleasant smile, her eyes glancing down as if he was embraced by her mother's praise.

"That would explain a lot-especially why he gave so many, especially after."

A loud rapping knock interrupted Coco, causing all heads to turn towards the door. Imelda groaned in displeasure as she untangled herself from Hector's arms. She marched towards the door with her hands on her hips, muttering vicious words about delusion fans and people interrupting them. She swung open the door, a slew of fiery words at the ready, only to be foiled by a sudden pair of arms being thrown around her neck.

"Ay Imelda mi hermosa amiga!"

"Fr…Frida! What are you…" Imelda asked, completely stunned by the sudden appearance of the famous artist, Frida Kahlo and her ever present monkey alebrje .Frida kissed both of her cheeks, giving her once last squeeze before letting her go.

"Oh chica think about who you're talking to-I know everything. Besides you know how quickly news travels around here, especially since you're"

"Finish that sentence and I swear…"

"Oh calm Imelda darling I mean no harm and you know it." She skirted around Imelda before the matriarch had a chance to stop her, gliding right into the living room as if she owned the place. She walked right up to Coco, who sat slack jawed and frozen at the sight.

Frida was everything she had expected her to be. She was no particularly tall-maybe only a few inches taller than Imelda. Her dark hair was pulled back into an elegant up due, and she was dressed in the most colorful clothes had seen. A small, green monkey sat contently on the top of her shoulders. It eyed her with as much curiosity and awe as its owner did. Coco felt her bones tighten, and her jaw dropped even more, threatening to detach.

"You… You…" She stuttered, earning a chuckle from the renowned artist. She bent down to hug Coco, completely ignoring how rigid the woman was in her arms.

"Si I am Frida Kahlo, and YOU are the illustrious Coco!" Frida exclaimed, releasing Coco and hold her by the shoulders. Coco fell silent for a moment, trying to process what had just happened and what she had just heard. Her stunned expressed twisted into one of extreme confusion and horror.

"I… I wouldn't call myself illustrious." Coco muttered, her face growing hot as if she should be turning as red as a tomato. She gripped her white dress in a desperate attempt to keep her hands from fiddling with each other. Frida laughed, bending down to give Coco's cheek a pat. Coco stiffened under the touch, feeling her nonexistent heart beating rapidly.

"Ay dios mios, you really have no idea how special you really are" Frida claimed, her joyful expression softening into a thoughtful one. Coco felt as if she could crawl out of her skin had she had any. She wanted nothing more than to crawl into herself and forget this moment had ever happened. It was almost impossible to wrap her mind around-one of Mexico's most famous artist was standing before her, a simple old shoe maker, telling her she was special. Not knowing well else to do Coco shook her head, her braids swinging around her face. She opened her mouth to protest such a claim, but never had the chance to utter a word.

"Si Frida, our Coco is quiet special." Hector said, flashing a loving smile at his daughter. Despite her embarrassment Coco felt the corners of her mouth twitch into a small smile. The burning feeling in her cheeks only grew when she heard the rest of her family agree with Hector and Frida. Though she didn't look at anyone, preferring to just glance around the room, her small smile grew bigger with each complement. After a moment she finally felt comfortable enough to look at Frida, who had moved over to Hector.

"I'm so happy for you amigo-this must be such a special day for you." She said, gently patting his shoulder. Hector stiffened, looking up at Frida with a kind smile.

"Si it is." Frida nodded in agreement, lifting her hand of his shoulder and smooth her skirt. She turned on the balls of her feet, declaring;

"I can tell I overstayed my welcome so I'll just leave you all alone." She looked over her shoulder back at Coco, flashing a brilliant smile.

"I'm very you're here chica. I can't wait to get to know you-that is if your mama's alebreje will let me." She said, her voice turning bitter at the mention of the infamous multicolored winged jaguar. As if right on cue Pepita let out a low rumbling row, making the room tremble. Imelda scowled as Frida walked back, her eyes full of irritation and anger. Frida gave Imelda a warm smile, holding out her arms to pull her into a hug. Imelda crossed her arms and stood firm as she found herself in an unwanted hug, even more rigid than Coco had been. The little monkey patted her head, only irritating the shoe maker even more. Imelda shoved Frida away, placed her hands on her hips.

"All right you had your fun now go!" The famous artist shrugged, seemingly unphased by Imelda's hostility. She simply floated out the door as effortless as she had come in. Imelda slammed the door shut. She let out a loud huff and crossed her arms over her chest, marching back to her family.

"I swear! I'm sorry Hector I know she's your friend and has done so much for us but she has no right to come into our home and insult my Pepita!" She chided, sitting on the couch with a unlady like plop.

"And that monkey in a nuisance!" She added, her arms crossed over her chest and her expression tight with frustration. Hector went to put his arm around her shoulder, prepared to try and calm her down.

"Frida Kahlo is your friend?!" Coco asked, causing Hector to freeze and hover his arm just over Imelda's shoulder. He placed it back to his side, staring at Coco with an emotionless expression, his thoughts running a million miles a minute. Coco continued to stare at him with wide, expectant eyes, waiting for the answer she seeked. The other Riveras refused to talk or even look at them, knowing full well it wasn't their story to tell. Memories came flooding back, of sneaking into Ceci's costume studio to "borrow" a Frida costume, -and the painful reminder it wasn't the first time he had tried such a thing. The memory of Frida catching him in costume still haunted him to this day. He could hear how she cackled and doubled over from laughing so hard-even the monkey was snickering at him.

No. Hector decided if he had any say in it his daughter would no idea of him dressing up as Frida Kahlo-or anymore for that matter.

"Uh I don't want to talk about it mija." He said, looking down at his feet and rubbed the back of his neck, silently hoping it would be enough. He knew it wasn't. If there was one thing he knew about his daughter that seemed to have not changed, was how frustratingly persistent she could be. Sure enough Coco's once shocked expression and twisted into pure irritation.

She wanted to hear the story and she would hear it-even if she had to restore to certain measures she had not resorted to since childhood.

"But how.."

"I said I'm not talking about it!" Hector stated, standing up and walking away from the group. Despite still getting used to her legs Coco immediately stood up and began to trail behind him as he walked through the house.

"How do you know Frida Kahlo?" She demanded.

"I'm not talking about Coco."

"How do you know Frida Kahlo?"

"I said no mija."

"How do you-"

"SOCORRO RIVERA DROP IT!"

The family watched the scene with amused expression and laughter, unused to seeing Coco act in such a manner. Everyone that is except Imelda. She watched the scene unfolding with a soft smile and a thoughtful expression. Her chest glowing with a kind of adoration she hadn't felt in a long time. As she heard them squabbling, Imelda found herself falling deep into the recesses of her mind, just as Hector had done before. Right before her eyes her hacienda suddenly became much smaller. Hector was no longer a skeleton but flesh and bone. Coco was a little toddler once more, having gained use of her leg and a small amount of words. For whatever reason Coco was following Hector around the house, pleading with him for something or to do something.

"Please Papa!" She begged, her choice high and childish.

"No mi amor."

"Please Papa." She tried again, batting her chocolate eyes and trying not to stumble as she kept up with him.

"Coco I said no." Hector repeated, his voice growing every more agitated with each childish plea.

"PLEASE Papa?!" Coco cried, throwing herself at Hector's leg. She wrapped both her arms and ankles around the unsuspecting leg, causing Hector to drag her along as he went through the house.

"Socorro Rivera you need to let me go!" Hector ordered, desperately trying to conceal his frustration.

"No!" She cried, holding Hector's leg even tighter. Hector's annoying grimace turned into a loving smile, letting go of whatever annoyance he had. He bent down and pried her from his leg, scooping her in his arm and spinning her around.

Imelda felt her breath being sucked away at how vivid the memory was, how even though she had returned into reality she could have so easily been back in her little home, watching Hector slowly make his way around the house as Coco clung to his leg. She knew it was only a memory, and she could tell by the way Coco kept harping at her poor Papa that it would not end the same way. Their voices carried on for a few more minutes until Hector finally caved.

"All right all right you win mija! I'll tell you later okay?" Coco's lips curled into a proud smirk as she let out a low chuckle, instinctively wrapping her arms around her nonexistent stomach. Hector stared at her wide eyed, his face colored in disbelief.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?! Remind me again how old you are?!" He demanded, looking completely offended as Coco's chuckle turned into full blown laughter. He gawked at her in disbelief, his jaw dropped in a slightly O. He wanted to stay annoyed at her childish antics-after all she had almost lived a century. However, her soft, feather like laughter melted away frustration he felt. His exasperated expression turned back into a smile, and he began to laugh along with her. He pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed the top of her snowy head, thankful to have his miracle back in his arms.

"Te amo mucho mi amor." He said, rubbing gentle shoulders on her shoulder blade. Coco wrapped her arms around him as tight as she could and looked up into his large, loving eyes.

"Te amo tambien Papa."

Imelda's small smile grew until it reached the tips of both cheeks as she watched them. She was so full of joy she felt like she was glowing. For the first time in ages, Imelda could finally let herself fall back into the couch and relax.

Life was good.


End file.
